Bristol and surrounding areas

Across this area, increasing the amount of accessible nature-rich green and blue space is a priority to enable wildlife to thrive in urban areas and to improve people's health and wellbeing. More deprived areas and areas with poor access to nature-rich space would benefit most from such measures, and should be the focus where possible.

Nature-based solutions, such as planting of streets trees, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems and green walls/roofs, should also be used to adapt to climate change and reduce urban pollution. Again, more deprived areas would likely benefit most from these and should be an initial priority.

Another relevant priority is to increase the number of local food growing opportunities, including allotments and community orchards. These can be hugely beneficial in reconnecting people to nature and food.

Additionally, existing nature-rich sites (many of which are designated for their value to local wildlife) should have good management for nature and be protected from recreational pressure.

For further information regarding opportunities for nature recovery, it is recommended that you make reference to any local action plans for nature and to get in touch with any active wildlife groups in your area.

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Priorities for nature recovery

Delivering the priorities for nature recovery is particularly important in the mapped Focus Areas for Nature Recovery. ‘Landscape recovery’ measures, which will have the biggest impact on nature recovery, are particularly relevant in these Focus Areas.

New and existing development and infrastructure contributes positively towards wider ecological networks.

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Ensure new developments include plenty of (native) street trees, hedges, ponds and other wildlife-rich areas.	Businesses Local government	Development and regeneration	N/A
Construct larger green bridges or underpasses over significant new roads to enable wildlife passage, and explore opportunities for green bridges over motorways or a-roads that sever key ecological networks	Businesses Local government	Infrastructure	N/A
Fit wildlife tunnels underneath new and existing roads to enable wildlife to pass safely underneath	Businesses Local government	Infrastructure	N/A
Fit mammal ledges into new and existing culverts or concrete pipes to enable wildlife, including otters, to safely pass through culverts or under bridges	Businesses Local government	Infrastructure	N/A

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Manage existing wood pasture and parkland to maximise their value to wildlife and ensure continued survival of mature and veteran trees	Farmers and landowners	Countryside	Landscape recovery
Carry out specialist tree surgery as needed to extend the lives of veteran and ancient trees	Farmers and landowners	Countryside	Landscape recovery

There is more woodland that is managed and in good ecological condition, including minimising the impact of ash dieback and reducing grazing pressure on sensitive woodlands from deer.

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Improve the management of existing areas of woodland for wildlife, following the principles set out in the Forest of Avon Plan	Farmers and landowners	Woodland	Landscape recovery
Reintroduce coppicing as a form of woodland management that benefits wildlife while potentially providing woodland products such as fuel	Farmers and landowners	Woodland	Landscape recovery
Open up rides and glades in existing woodland to develop ecotones and scrubby areas that better support a wider range of wildlife. Where appropriate, use new open woodland areas caused by ash dieback to create new wood pastures or glades	Farmers and landowners	Woodland	Landscape recovery
Consider introducing grazing animals in larger woodlands to create a more dynamic ecology and enable habitat succession.	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	Landscape recovery
Take measures to reduce deer grazing in woodlands, such as putting up deer fencing, to reduce their negative impact on woodland ecology due to overgrazing.	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	Environmental stewardship
Leave deadwood in situ to provide habitat for a variety of species including fungi, lichens, invertebrates, mosses, bats and birds.	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	Environmental stewardship
Periodically thin ‘high forest’ type woodlands (tall trees with little shrub layer) to maintain structural diversity and a varied age structure where appropriate	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	Environmental stewardship
Avoid placing game bird pens in woodlands with a high botanical value	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	N/A
Ensure public access to and recreational activities within woodlands minimises impacts on woodland ecology, including clearly marked paths.	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	N/A
Only fell trees affected by ash dieback when there is a material safety risk, a clear future safety risk, or as part of normal silvicultural operations, and leave deadwood in place where possible for the benefit of wildlife	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	Environmental stewardship
Where there is a diverse mix of tree species present, allow natural regeneration to replace trees lost through ash dieback. Where natural regeneration is not possible, replace trees lost through ash dieback with a suitable mix of native broadleaved species	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	Environmental stewardship
Adopt ecologically sound forestry practices in woodlands used for timber production. This can include continuous cover management regimes that attempt to mimic natural processes, and integration of areas and corridors of native broadleaved woodland in coniferous forests	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	Environmental stewardship
Include fire and fuel breaks and/or fire belts in woodland to reduce the risk of wildfires, and ensure woodlands are resilient to climate change in the future	Farmers & landowners	Woodland	N/A

Existing species-rich grasslands and meadows, including lowland calcareous grasslands, are protected and well-managed.

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Keep or put in place the appropriate extensive grazing regime for existing species-rich grasslands and lowland meadows, avoiding overgrazing or undergrazing that can lead to grassland habitat being lost	Farmers and landowners	Countryside	Landscape recovery
Prevent scrub from encroaching on species-rich wildflower grasslands, while maintaining a minority area of scrub that is managed to create a varied age, composition and physical structure including glades and scalloped edges	Farmers and landowners	Countryside	Environmental stewardship
Where there is an absence of scrub and successional habitat in or adjacent to grasslands, encourage a minority amount to improve structural diversity and benefit wildlife	Farmers and landowners	Countryside	Environmental stewardship

There are more waterbodies that are in good ecological status and support thriving populations of fish and other freshwater wildlife.

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Reduce the use of artificial sports pitches with ‘rubber crumb’ infill, which can leach into aquatic environments in significant quantities (and is also thought to be harmful to human health), in favour of more environmentally friendly options.	Local Government Businesses	N/A	N/A
Reduce urban run-off by upgrading existing drainage infrastructure, installing sustainable urban drainage (SuDs) features, and ensuring new developments have suitable water management and drainage infrastructure*	Local Government Businesses	Development and regeneration; Streets	N/A
Reduce other sources of plastic pollution, including single use plastics and other sources of microplastics (such as some cosmetic products)	Businesses Communities	N/A	N/A
Use constructed wetlands to address pollution from urban and transport outfalls*	Businesses	N/A	N/A

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Humane management of the non-native grey squirrel, potentially including the use of contraceptives to reduce breeding success	Farmers and landowners	Woodland	N/A
Humanely manage the impact of populations of the non-native muntjac deer, whose grazing can have severe negative impacts on woodland ecology, at the landscape level	Farmers and landowners	Countryside	N/A

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Add colour filters to LED streetlights to reduce their impact on insects, birds and bats.	Local Government	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Streets; Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A
Minimise the use of lighting where safe to do so, including on the road network, and turning off public lighting for a time overnight.	Local Government Businesses Communities	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Streets; Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A
Use motion-sensitive lights to reduce the extent of light pollution	Local Government Businesses	Streets	N/A

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Integrate wildlife-friendly measures into homes and other developments, such as nest-hole bricks, and bird and bat boxes	Businesses Communities	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Streets; Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A
Install swift boxes on buildings and homes to provide nesting sites	Businesses Communities	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A
Improve roadside verge management for nature, using an appropriate cutting regime to encourage floral diversity	Local Government	Streets	N/A
Create more nature-rich space in gardens and other private spaces, such as native shrubs and flowers	Businesses Communities	Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A
Avoid using pesticides or compost with peat in it	Businesses Communities	Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A
Include ponds and other safe water features for wildlife in gardens	Businesses Communities	Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A
Retrofit wildlife kerbs to existing gullies, particularly near existing nature sites, and install wildlife kerbs on new gullies as standard. This will provide safe passage for amphibians and small mammals around road gullies and drainage openings	Local Government	Streets	N/A
Reduce recreational pressure on woodlands and other habitat in urban areas through maintaining clear paths, keeping dogs on leads, and setting aside non-accessible areas for wildlife where practical	Local Government	Parks and larger spaces	N/A

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Increase the area of parks and public spaces managed for nature, including establishing more wildflower meadows or areas of unmown grass	Local Government	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Streets	N/A
Create pocket parks in unused spaces, prioritising areas with least access to local green space and the highest vulnerability to the urban heat island effect and air pollution	Local Government	Parks and larger spaces; Streets	N/A
Design and deliver new housing developments with sufficient accessible, nature-rich spaces for residents (meeting Building with Nature Standards)	Businesses Local Government	Development and regeneration	N/A

There is greater tree canopy cover in towns and cities, benefitting urban wildlife, helping adapt to climate change, and improving people’s wellbeing.

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Plant new street trees, ideally native species that will most benefit wildlife, prioritising areas with low tree cover and sites that will most benefit from shade for urban cooling	Local Government	Streets	N/A
Plant trees, ideally native species that will most benefit wildlife, in gardens and other private spaces	Businesses Communities	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A

There is more community food growing close to where people live, including local agroecological/regenerative agriculture, allotments and community orchards.

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Create new allotment sites to provide residents with local, sustainable food growing opportunities	Local Government	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration	N/A
Establish other local community food-growing enterprises, such as community farms	Local Government Communities	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration	N/A
Create community orchards, ideally with local varieties of fruits, to provide local food and benefit wildlife	Local Government Communities	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration	N/A

Nature-based solutions are widely used to increase the resilience of our population centres to climate change, including to heat stress and flooding.

Measures	Most relevant to	Land type	Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Install green walls and green roofs on new and existing buildings, helping to cool urban areas and provide more space for nature	Businesses	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A
Remove hard-standing surfaces in favour of permeable surfaces (ideally natural, green ones that also benefit wildlife) to reduce surface water flooding	Businesses Communities	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Streets; Gardens and other outdoor space	N/A
Integrate natural features such as swales, wetlands and raingardens to attenuate water within developments and provide additional habitat for wildlife	Businesses	Parks and larger spaces; Development and regeneration	N/A

Relevant priority species

Glow worm
Hedgehog
House Sparrow
Swift